WWI U-boat commanders

Ralph Wenninger

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 4/07)

Successes
98 ships sunk with a total of 102,635 GRT
7 ships damaged with a total of 27,849 GRT
1 ship taken as prize with a total of 0 GRTNo ships sunk or damaged

Born:22 Apr 1890  
Died:13 Mar 1945 Italy 

Ralph Wenninger

Ranks

3 Apr 1907 Seekadett
21 Apr 1908 Fähnrich zur See
28 Sep 1910 Leutnant zur See
27 Sep 1913 Oberleutnant zur See
16 Nov 1917 Kapitänleutnant
1 Apr 1926 Korvettenkapitän
1 Oct 1931 Fregattenkapitän

Decorations

 Iron Cross 2nd class
 Iron Cross 1st class
 Military Merit Order (Bavaria)
29 Mar 1916  Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
30 Mar 1918  Pour le Mérite
1918 or later  Hanseatic Cross
 U-Boat War Badge

U-boat Commands

UB 114 Mar 1915 - 10 Mar 1915
UB 174 May 1915 - 6 Feb 1916
UB 1716 Apr 1916 - 27 Jun 1916
UC 1723 Jul 1916 - 21 May 1917
UB 551 Jul 1917 - 22 Apr 1918

Notes

Wenninger joined the U-boat force in December 1914. He first served on the UB 17 from 4 May 1915 on, then on UC 17 from 23 July 1916 and took command of UB 55 on 1 July 1917.

In November 1917 he was promoted to Kptlt. and on 30 March 1918 he was awarded the Pour le Mérite. He became a prisoner of war with a part of his crew on 22 April 1918 after UB 55 hit a mine in the Dover Barrage while running underwater. Between 15 and 20 men escaped from the sinking submarine, but only 8 were found alive by the British trawler Mate. One of the men died on the ship while being transported to Dover.

Wenninger remained in the navy and joined the Luftwaffe on 1 March 1935 as a Oberst, even became General der Flieger on the 1st November 1940. He died in Italy under unknown circumstances on the 13 March 1945.

He sank a total of 97 merchant vessels or 100.306 BRT.

Ships hit by Ralph Wenninger

DateU-boat Name of shipType of shipTonsNat.
 
18 Jul 1915 UB 17 Batoum (d.)Tanker4,054br
6 Aug 1915 UB 17 C.E.S.Fishing vessel (smack)47br
6 Aug 1915 UB 17 FishermanFishing vessel (smack)24br
6 Aug 1915 UB 17 HesperusFishing vessel (smack)47br
6 Aug 1915 UB 17 IvanFishing vessel (smack)44br
24 Aug 1915 UB 17 LEON MATHILDE (p.)Sailing vesselunknownbe
23 Sep 1915 UB 17 Saint Pierre INavy Trawler303fr
9 Nov 1915 UB 17 Jesus MariaNavy drifter71fr
 
31 Jan 1916 UB 17 Arthur WilliamFishing vessel (smack)56br
31 Jan 1916 UB 17 HildaFishing vessel (smack)44br
31 Jan 1916 UB 17 MargueriteFishing vessel32be
31 Jan 1916 UB 17 RadiumFishing vessel (smack)59br
1 Feb 1916 UB 17 Franz FischerSteamer957br
6 Nov 1916 UC 17 FanellySailing vessel307fr
7 Nov 1916 UC 17 FurulundSteamer1,817nw
7 Nov 1916 UC 17 Suffolk CoastSteamer780br
7 Nov 1916 UC 17 ThuhaugSteamer948nw
10 Nov 1916 UC 17 Benton CastleNavy Trawler283br
11 Nov 1916 UC 17 SeirstadSteamer995nw
14 Nov 1916 UC 17 Oiz MendiSteamer2,104sp
14 Nov 1916 UC 17 AlcyonSailing vessel59fr
15 Nov 1916 UC 17 La RochejacqueleinSailing vessel2,199fr
15 Nov 1916 UC 17 TorridalSteamer688nw
16 Nov 1916 UC 17 EugenieSailing vessel66fr
16 Nov 1916 UC 17 Petit JeanSailing vessel126fr
21 Nov 1916 UC 17 FaunusSteamer749sw
15 Dec 1916 UC 17 Constance MarySailing vessel177br
17 Dec 1916 UC 17 AlerteSailing vessel176fr
18 Dec 1916 UC 17 La VagueSailing vessel167fr
18 Dec 1916 UC 17 Maria LouisSailing vessel108fr
18 Dec 1916 UC 17  Quo VadisSailing vessel110fr
20 Dec 1916 UC 17 Otarie IiTrawler109fr
20 Dec 1916 UC 17 SAINT ANTOINE DE PADOUEFishing vessel32fr
21 Dec 1916 UC 17 St. IvesNavy Trawler325br
24 Dec 1916 UC 17 BarganySteamer872br
25 Dec 1916 UC 17 CourlisSailing vessel181fr
28 Dec 1916 UC 17 PithoSailing vessel150br
28 Dec 1916 UC 17 UnionSailing vessel563nw
 
20 Jan 1917 UC 17  StandardSailing vessel217da
22 Jan 1917 UC 17 GauloisSailing vessel76fr
22 Jan 1917 UC 17 O. A. BrodinSteamer1,798sw
23 Jan 1917 UC 17 EgypteSteamer2,416be
23 Jan 1917 UC 17 OpheliaSailing vessel159fr
31 Jan 1917 UC 17 EpsilonSteamer3,211nl
16 Feb 1917 UC 17  HermineSteamer3,940fr
18 Feb 1917 UC 17 ThorgnySteamer734nw
19 Feb 1917 UC 17 CenturionSailing vessel1,828br
19 Feb 1917 UC 17 Picton CastleNavy Trawler245br
20 Feb 1917 UC 17 Falls of AftonSailing vessel1,965nw
21 Feb 1917 UC 17 Manninghamsteamer1,988sw
22 Feb 1917 UC 17 AjaxSteamer1,468nw
22 Feb 1917 UC 17 Saint SauveurSailing vessel158fr
23 Feb 1917 UC 17 BelgierSteamer4,588br
23 Feb 1917 UC 17 IserSteamer2,160br
23 Feb 1917 UC 17 NylandSteamer1,824nw
24 Feb 1917 UC 17 SalamisSteamer995gr
25 Feb 1917 UC 17 KleberSailing vessel95fr
26 Feb 1917 UC 17 Le LamentinSailing vessel716fr
7 Mar 1917 UC 17 AntonioSteamer2,652br
19 Mar 1917 UC 17 RhodoraFishing vessel (dundee)38fr
21 Mar 1917 UC 17 Huntscape (d.)Steamer2,933br
22 Mar 1917 UC 17 CurlewFishing vessel (smack)51br
22 Mar 1917 UC 17  RotoruaSteamer11,140br
23 Mar 1917 UC 17 MaineSteamer3,616br
23 Mar 1917 UC 17 Mexico (d.)Passenger steamer5,549br
24 Mar 1917 UC 17 AliceFishing vessel (smack)61br
24 Mar 1917 UC 17 Boy WalterFishing vessel (smack)43br
24 Mar 1917 UC 17 EndeavourFishing vessel (smack)25br
24 Mar 1917 UC 17 EnigmaFishing vessel (smack)24br
24 Mar 1917 UC 17 H.C.G.Fishing vessel (smack)24br
24 Mar 1917 UC 17 May FlowerFishing vessel (smack)38br
24 Mar 1917 UC 17 Qui ViveFishing vessel (smack)22br
24 Mar 1917 UC 17 ReindeerFishing vessel (smack)28br
24 Mar 1917 UC 17 SatanitaFishing vessel (smack)30br
9 May 1917 UC 17 MarchienaSailing vessel170nl
10 May 1917 UC 17 VeniSteamer654nw
12 May 1917 UC 17 G.L.C.Fishing vessel (smack)24br
12 May 1917 UC 17 GaliciaPassenger steamer5,922br
13 May 1917 UC 17 AnnaSailing vessel610da
13 May 1917 UC 17 HudsonSailing vessel817nw
14 May 1917 UC 17 FarleySteamer3,692br
16 May 1917 UC 17 L’hermite (d.)Sailing vessel2,189fr
19 May 1917 UC 17 Kumu (d.)Navy trawler315br
5 Nov 1917 UB 55 Clan Cumming (d.)Steamer4,808br
7 Dec 1917 UB 55 ProbaSailing vessel105br
8 Dec 1917 UB 55 CorintoSteamer999nw
11 Dec 1917 UB 55 ArgusTrawler100pt
11 Dec 1917 UB 55 LIGEIROFishing vessel25pt
11 Dec 1917 UB 55 A PortuguesaSailing vessel107pt
11 Dec 1917 UB 55 VIGNEIRA or VIRGEIRAFishing vessel25pt
16 Dec 1917 UB 55 FoylemoreSteamer3,831br
 
25 Jan 1918 UB 55 EastlandsSteamer3,113br
26 Jan 1918 UB 55 Manhattan (d.)Passenger steamer8,001br
29 Jan 1918 UB 55 AddaxFishing vessel (smack)40br
29 Jan 1918 UB 55 General LemanFishing vessel (smack)57br
29 Jan 1918 UB 55 IbexFishing vessel (smack)42br
29 Jan 1918 UB 55 PerritonSailing vessel90br
29 Jan 1918 UB 55 PerseveranceFishing vessel (smack)51br
30 Jan 1918 UB 55 WellholmeQ-ship113br
14 Mar 1918 UB 55  A. A. RavenSteamer2,459am
21 Mar 1918 UB 55 BegoniaSteamer3,070br
23 Mar 1918 UB 55 ChattahoocheeSteamer8,007am
23 Mar 1918 UB 55 Madame MidasSteamer1,203br
23 Mar 1918 UB 55 Mar BalticoSteamer2,023sp
23 Mar 1918 UB 55 VenborgSteamer1,065nw
24 Mar 1918 UB 55 FileurSailing vessel73fr
 130,484
99 ships sunk (102,635 tons) and 7 ships damaged (27,849 tons).


Legend
(d.) means the ship was damaged.
(p.) means the ship was taken as prize (included in ships & tonnage lost).
We have a picture of this vessel.

Media links


Kaiserliche Marine U-Boote 1914-1918

Dufeil, Yves

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